Twelve dead in shooting rampage at Fort Hood US military base in Texas

At least 12 people have been killed and more than 30 injured in a shooting
rampage at the Fort Hood US military base in Texas.

The main gate at the U.S. Army post at Fort Hood, Texas iPhoto: REUTERS

By Nick Allen in Los Angeles

10:18PM GMT 05 Nov 2009

The Army said one of the gunmen had been killed and two other men apprehended in connection with the shooting.

Lieutenant General Bob Cone: "A shooter opened fire. That person was killed. At this time, we are looking at 12 dead and 31 wounded. They are dispersed among the local hospitals in this area in Texas.

"The shooter was killed. He was a soldier. We since then have apprehended two additional soldiers who are suspects, and I would go into the point that there were eyewitness accounts that there may have been more than one shooter."

The massacre happened at a training centre on the sprawling grounds of the largest US military base in the world.

Four police officers were shot and wounded before they were arrested.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen were dressed in military uniforms.

According to one report the shootings happened shortly before a graduation ceremony involving universities located on the base.

President Barack Obama called the shooting at an Army base in Texas a "horrific outburst of violence."

He says he doesn't yet know all the details but promised the government would get "answers to every single question."

Mr Obama also said his thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and families of the fallen.

Fort Hood is one of the US’s premier installations for training heavy forces and tens of thousands of soldiers go through every year, many heading to Afghanistan and Iraq.

It covers an area of 15 square miles some 50 miles from Waco, Texas and there are up to 50,000 people, including families, on the site at any one time. The base has been locked down.